Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-08-13
9ciee J GemtS

vs. ~ ''''''t 81 W. w bllt Hllulllt
OF chat committee the acts of
BLACk THURSDAY
must be recorded. Henry George
had printed in his mouth-piece, Tile
Sh'Hdojd, his decree that the expul-
sion of the Socialists must follow un-
less they submitted to his view of
what was best, in these words:
"liut if they the Socialists must per
sist in bringing to the front their
schemes for making the State everything
and Notwithstanding, let them main
tain their socialistic labor party, and
leave MS to fight our own way"
Aside from the falsohood contained
in hcpassage: Schemes for making
the State everything and the ind-
vidual nothing" there is q decided
uppishncss and intolerance dis
played. Besides, but few Socialists
are members of the Socialist organi-
zation.
This declaration of war was accep-
ted as command by the County
Committee, who, in servile obedi-
enco to their "boss' and on Thurs,
day, Aug. 4th. contrary to the spirit
Of the constitution which many So
cialists assisted in creating, declared
that members of the Socialistic La
bor Party came under the clause
which prohibited membership to
members of "any other political
party "
But to show that it was not at all
II matter Of respect for the constitu-
ton that animated the County Com
mittce including its chairman, John
Nc MaGkn, it need only be said that
the decree Of communication was
enforced against Others besides mem
bers of the Socialistic Labor Party.
1t was decree aimed at anyone who
used his reason against the tactics
Of y few glory-hunting and success
worshlppng individuals who happen
to iluttcraround the Pickering flame,
Henry George.
1t is q sad thing to record the
weakness Of u man who has in the
past rendered good service to the
general reform movement; it is q
sud thing to record his retreat from
IN advanced position to an illogical,
inconsistent and reactionary one,
dictated evidently by u desire for
personal supremacy.
But the reasonable hopes of the
star chamber conspirators will not
very casiI y be realized. The Eighth,
Tenth, Fourteenth, Twentieth and
Twcnty-second Assembly Districts
have protested against the usurpa-
ton Of power, and many who are
not socialists are greatly disgusted at
the display Of churllsllness of George
and his coterie Of played-out polite
ians and cx-heelers who were tolcr-
ated in the expectation that they had
come to a conclusion that, after all,
honesty was the best policy. II the
attempt to steer the working people
away from the object Of the labor
movement in the line of q middle
class tax reform swindlc succeeded,
these gentlemen would, no doubt,
have earned all they worked for.
The day in past, however, when the
workingmon who have become edu-
Gated to u degree that prompts them
to demand the abolition of the wage
system and the Inauguration of q
co-oporatiye system of production
and distribution will allow them
selves to be diverted from a course
that promises so much, and is in ac-
cordance the opinion Of the foremost
thinkers and writers of the age, in
Guiding Henry George, before he
was attacked with egotistic insanity,
and before he surrounded him
self with the Croasdales, McMacklns,
Jimmy OBriens, and others whose
political history began in the unsav-
ory precincts of Tammany eorrup-
ton.
There should be no bar put up
for those who would reform and join
Labors' ranks, but such scaly sub
jects should not be placed in posi-
tions of trust.
1t is well, after all, that these
people have been unmasked, even
though the lesson be dearly bought
that will serve to make the working
people more careful in the future of
training with played -out Drofession-